Breath of Life
by totoleedead
Summary: When the Maximoffs' confronted Ulysses Klaue he mentions a human growth market. Anybody ever wonder what HYDRA did with the bodies of those failed human experiments? I know, I was one of them... well... not really one of them, but I did wake up in one of the bodies. WARNING: Male OC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is part of the Marvel Universe. I do own my character. MINE! Enjoy :)

Summary: When the Maximoffs' confronted Ulysses Klaue he mentions a human growth market. Anybody ever wonder what HYDRA did with the bodies of those failed human experiments? I know, I was one of them... well... not really one of them, but I did wake up in one of the bodies.

Chapter One

"Hope" is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I've heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

-Emily Dickinson

It was cold... and there was a pain... a burning... from the inside? I awoke with a gasp. Air filled my burning lungs. Bright lights flooded my eyes making me wince in pain. There was a ringing in my ears muffling everything. I felt tired and so cold. Craning my head to the left I saw a woman in a laboratory coat shouting and banging on a heavy duty metal door. Everything hurt... Everything burned... I struggled and finally managed to sit up. I was on a metal table... In a morgue? I gasped silently with the realization... I had been dead? It seemed someone had finally answered the woman's screaming. The bolted door unlocked with a clang and a group of military men burst in with weapons, all aimed at me. The realization had turned to shock and a cold fear began to creep in. The ringing in my head was clearing and slowly the muffled voices turned into words. One of the men was yelling at me, "Hands Where I Can See Them! Hands Where I Can See Them! Now!" Nervously I raised my hands. But they were still yelling. Some were aiming over my shoulder?

I tilted my head to look behind me and meeped. A woman? Dressed in a simple white gown and a surgical mask over her mouth was standing behind me. Was she not with them? How odd... She looked like a normal person at first... But I shuddered. She frightened me with her looks. Hair black as night, the most peculiar set of glowing red eyes, and her skin was translucent, like she wasn't really there. After looking her over I returned to her eyes and trembled. Her eyes... they looked hungry. The mask moved as if she was going to talk but what came out was not a woman's voice or really one voice at all, but the voice of many. So many mixed together, it sounded like something you'd hear in a horror film. She uttered only two words, ** _"Insolent Creatures~"_**

After she was a blur and with it, brought gunfire and red that painted the entire room. I yelped and jerked to the side when a bullet managed to graze my face. When I looked back up that cold fear crept in even further. All the men were now mangled pieces. Heads removed, limbs strewn about, body cavities gutted, you couldn't tell one person from another, and everything was painted red. The woman stood in the middle of it all, blood dripping from herself, her arms, her hair... Slowly she turned to me, her surgeon's mask hanging on one ear. I gasped. Her mouth was a deranged smile full of sharp teeth.

She cackled lowly before leering at me and clicking her tongue, **_"Birdie~ You gone and got yourself hurt let me fix it for you."_** I scrambled back slipping off the table onto the floor. She paused in her steps towards me and cocked her head to the side, no longer smiling. **_"Fine birdie if that's how you want to be..."_** She gave me a shrug before disappearing like smoke.

I shook from my spot on the floor before slowly crawling towards the door. I wrenched a blood spattered lab coat from the wall before quickly scrambling from the room. I sprang into a dead run towards the emergency exit at the end of the hall. Barreling out the doors I found myself by the woods. I took off running.

I ran farther and farther from the building eventually stopping once night had fallen. Collapsing underneath one of the many trees I grabbed at my head trying to get the flashing images of the bodies and blood from my mind. Suddenly a different image flashed. A different red. Darker. Mine…

Groaning I lowered my head to my knees as heaviness filled me like a damn had opened and a waterfall was pounding on my head.

-Flashback-

A figure was huddled to the ground in the never ending white landscape staring blankly up with dark eyes singing quietly to himself over and over.

~Hold, hold on, hold onto me  
'Cause I'm a little unsteady  
A little unsteady  
Hold, hold on, hold onto me  
'Cause I'm a little unsteady  
A little unsteady ~

Voices suddenly called out to the figure and his eyes became alert snapping around searching, " ** _What do you wish for child?_** "

Hollow eyes went blank thinking before a raspy voice replied, "Nothing… I'm tired of wishing." Sighing the head drooped, eyes closing tightly and arms wrapped around it holding tightly. The silence returned before another figure appeared. Ghostly with long black hair, ruby eyes, clawed hands and a smile full of sharp teeth. A woman with the many voices cooed curiously, " _ **are you sure birdie?**_ " Muffled by his own form the figure snarked, "What is there for the dead to wish for? Life? I already failed at the one I was given. I do not wish for another of the same." Shrinking down to the size of a dog to peer up at the hunched figure the now creepy girlish ghost smiled widely, " _ **I can find you happiness.**_ " The figure chuckled darkly before black icy eyes snapped to the now creepy girlish ghost, "There is no happiness for something as damaged as me. Everything, My mind, my body, my spirit; they took it all from me." Sighing the figure's head lolled to the side, "When I tried to the escape finally, I got stuck here." The ghost glances at the figure and finally takes notice of the figure's legs. Silvery scars ran everywhere on the legs, the most notable being two long neat scars traveling from the tops of the knees and disappearing underneath clothing with even interval dots on each side most likely from stitches or staples. She stares deeply at them before quietly asking, " _ **What happened?**_ " The figure sighs and shakes their head, "I am far from them now. They cannot hurt me anymore."

The figure goes back to quietly singing but the ghost's hand is shoved into his face, " _ **My name is Althea. Yours?**_ " Smiling slightly the figure shakes the offered hand, "Ollie."

A/N: Yay! So I haven't really decided on what kind of pairing I want to do yet but the plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone so I just had to get this lil bit out for now~ Please send me R&R and no flamers please~ Nobody likes flamers~ If you have any requests please let me know~ but this is gonna mainly be post TWS and during AoU. If anybody wants to beta let me know! Thanks for reading :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is part of the Marvel Universe. I do own my character. MINE! Enjoy :)

Chapter Two

I woke up the next morning groaning. Slowly I opened my eyes and eeped, "Hi Althea…" She was in her smaller form floating right in front of me, smiling widely, **_"Birdie~ You're awake! We should go… Those people might come looking."_** She starts floating away. Scrambling up I chase after her following her through the woods, "Where are we going?" She chuckles back at me, **_"What I promised you. You're happiness!"_**

A break in the trees reveals a small lake. Smiling at the scene I quickly strip and rush to the water eager to get the drying blood off. Althea floats above me giggling wildly. I smile at her while floating on my back.

-Flashback-

I was lying down with Althea staring up into the blank never-ending white sky. I rolled over to face her and she looked at me, quirking her eyebrow. I sigh, "Althea, I don't know if I want happiness. I don't know if I even deserve it." She snorts before staring me down, **_"You would not be here if you did not deserve. The Void did not put us together if there was nothing to be done."_** I immediately sit up, "Is that where we are? A void? Like purgatory? What do you mean put us together? Shouldn't I just be dead? Why am I here?" She slaps her clawed hand over my mouth. I stare at her with wide eyes. She looks at me annoyance clear in her eyes, **_"THE Void is the one who gives those deserving another chance to have their wishes granted. It decided that I would help you grant yours."_**

Her eyes drift to the scars on my legs. Annoyed I yanked the shorts down some more to cover up. Her eyes drifted to meet mine, **_"Why won't you tell me, birdie?"_** I sigh before shrugging, "It isn't something that I can share so easily. It still hurts me." She stares some more before nodding. I glance at her, "Why do you call me birdie?" She claps her hands together tilting her head to the side, **_"Easy! You were singing when I heard you and plus you're always humming to yourself, hence birdie~"_** She smiles at me and I stare at her and then smile, "I like it. Thank you Althea."

I look back up to the white, "Do you think I do? Deserve to have my wish granted? To have happiness?" She crouches over me, her bloody eyes glowing staring deeply into me, **_"More than anyone in the world…"_**

-End Flashback-

Whispering I ask Althea, "Will you really help me find it? My happiness?" She leans in closer to me before replying, **_"Birdie, I will make sure you get it."_** I smile widely for what felt like the first time in a long time and look back to the sky.

Eventually I get out of the water and slip the lab coat back on and wander to the water's edge and look down and see my reflection. I immediately stiffen before crouching down to get a closer look while getting the bottom of the coat wet. I grab at my face, "Wha- What? What happened?! My face!"

The face that is staring back at me is not the one I was born with. I had been born with. I had been born a plain child and the person who stared back was not plain at all. Narrow face with light almost white hair and hypnotizing ice blue eyes ringed with black stared back. Gasping I move my hand over my mouth. The person in the reflection follows and I shriek whipping around to face Althea who has shrunken away, "What did you do?!" I grab at my very different head of hair, my breathing increasing as I try to remember what had happened before. I see Althea creeping closer slowly looking sheepish. She shrinks even further into herself before replying, **_"Well, I had to put you into someone else so you could have your happiness cause I couldn't put you back into your old body. It was too far gone…"_** She is twiddling her thumbs and I flinch at that information remembering what had happened to it. Sighing I sink down on the shore with my head in my hands, Althea slowly comes next to me. Glancing over at her I lightly try and pat her head, "I understand. Sorry, I just wasn't expecting this." She beams up at me, **_"It's okay! And don't worry there will be plenty more surprises!"_** I freeze at that looking at her sideways, "Althea…. What do you mean?" She looks up throwing her hands in front of her mouth, **_"Oops…"_** Immediately she disappears in a wisp of smoke before I can demand answers. I watch and sit in shock before sighing and huddling into myself.

I stared out at the water leaning against a tree when I heard the sound of someone tromping through the woods. Slowly I round the tree I was sitting in front and search from down low at the direction the noise was coming from.

A figure emerges from the tree line and heads straight for the water and bends down by the shore. Long curly chestnut hair obscures his face but he is fully clothed unlike me from head to toe. I slowly back away from my spot and circle the lake to get closer to him, hoping he could help me and hoping he wasn't one of the men from the lab. Halfway around he removes his gloves and reveals a metal hand that looks familiar. I gasp and breathily whisper to myself, "No…" The man straightens like he had heard my whisper and his face snaps to my direction and confirms everything I need to know about what had happened. I immediately stiffen before letting out one more word, "Fuck…"

A/N: I know it's not great~ Urgh typing makes my eyes hurt so much... I will try and make the next one longer and hopefully better~ I know I suck right now lol!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is part of the Marvel Universe. I do own my character. MINE! Enjoy :)

Chapter Three

James fucking Buchanan Barnes. Winter Soldier. Captain America's best friend. HYDRA's personal assassin.

His metal arm shines in the sun and through his raggedy hair; dark orbs are scanning the woods. I quickly huddle back behind the tree I'm hiding. My heart is jack-hammering in my chest and I start to hyperventilate.

Oh my god. What is happening? Why is he here? I need to run.

I stand cautiously, sure that he can hear me. I peek around the tree and he is no longer at the lake. My face pales, "Oh… shit…" I turn and start into a dead sprint.

I don't get very far before he springs up in front of me. I let out a shout and trip over myself landing several feet away from him with my face in the dirt. I immediately sit up spitting dirt from my mouth before scrambling up and focusing on him. Just as I see his muscles bunch to pounce he pauses and his eyes shift to behind me. Nervously I look behind me and squeak.

Althea towers over me like a giant, glowering at him, daring him to come closer. I hold my breath in hope that she will hold him at bay. He glances back and forth between the two of us, snapping back and forth cautiously before shooting me a dirty look and slinking off. I sigh and sink to the ground with blood pumping through my ears.

Her voices ring in the silence, **_"Birdie~ Who was that?"_** I whirl around to face her, slowly turning red in the face, "Althea! I thought the deal was new life! Not new universe!"

She looks sheepish poking her index fingers together, **_"I know… but they're not here… and you love this place… So I thought since here is what you love you would find your happiness here."_** I stare at her tears welling up in my eyes, "They're… They're… not… here…"

-Flashback-

It was dark. Smoke was curling in the air and a group of men were standing around in a circle in the small living room, jeering. They were laughing and in the center was a small child in a dog crate. Legs came swinging up rattling the cage. The child was crying loudly, fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

-End Flashback-

I reach out for her, shaking myself from my memory, tears pouring down my face, "Althea, Thank you…"

All of a sudden my world tilts and a force is plowing me from the side. I lose my breath, someone is yelling, and she is screeching and hissing. Something cold is clamped around my neck and that burning feeling from before is creeping back into my lungs. The cold shakes me and I can hear someone yelling, "Who are you? Did they send you?" Althea is screeching and it hurts my ears, **_"Unhand my Ollie this instant! Stop it!"_**

I can feel the voice directing itself at her, "You stay away. Take another step closer and your precious Ollie's neck goes pop."

She hisses again before backing up a couple of steps. The pressure eases and the burning ebbs away as sweet air returns to my lungs. I cough a little and peek above me to see a mop of that same chestnut hair. I groan into the ground muttering to myself. I am flipped over and come face to face with the Winter Soldier in all his glory, snarling down at me. He shakes me a little by the cold metal arm clasped around my throat, "Did they send you?" I stare up at him dazed and so very confused.

He stares at me long and hard because of my silence before his face slowly softens, remembering, "you remind me of him…" Nervously I stare up at him, snapping myself from confusion, whispering, "I'm not…" His eyes snap out of memory and instantly are replaced with ice and he is barking at me, "Are you with HYDRA? Where did you come from? Where did you get this coat? Do they know you're here?" I quake in fear while rapidly shaking my head no, "I'm not HYDRA. I don't even know where I am. Who I am. Please, please don't hurt me. I don't know anything." His eyes if possible turn even colder, arctic, and with venom he asks, "Did they wipe your memories too?" I blink a little confused before remembering their process to keep him under control. Hesitantly I nod and he snarls before punching the ground next to my head in anger. I let out a surprised shriek before my breath is cut off again. I can hear Althea screeching again before it quickly eases up again. I glance over and see that she has backed all the way up to behind a tree, hissing in anger.

I tremble underneath him, silently praying that that burning feeling never comes back. He stares at me, deeply. Like he's trying to see into my soul before he huffs and his eyes slide over my entire body examining, "Kid, why aren't you wearing anything but that bloody coat?"

My face instantly flushes bright red and a squawk leaves my parted lips as I bring my arms up to try and cover his face, "Don't Look!" He lurches back from my hands with a smirk on his face before he laughs. I pause at that sound, so light, and not at all what I had imagined. He eventually gets off and sits to my side and releases me allowing me to finally sit up and cover myself with the now again dirty lab coat. I shiver as a gust of wind blows through, throwing him a dirty look for laughing at my expense, "I woke up in a lab with nothing on… People showed up… People with guns… They were… yelling at me…" I paused and glance at his stony face. Looking back down I continue, "I don't know how I got there… But Althea…" I wave to her form still lurking behind a tree not willing to risk injury with the twitchy man next to me, "She… cleared the way and I ran."

He sits deathly still before rubbing his hands over his face, "Kid, I'm assuming you have nowhere to go and no idea what to do." I nod my head rapidly looking at him curiously. He sighs mumbling to himself, "I'm gonna regret this." Before turning steely blue eyes, "You can stick with me. I'm headed up to New York. You can get reoriented with everything and then you're on your own. Okay?"

I stare at him in shock before slowly tears gather in my eyes and I dive into his lap. He instantly stiffens and makes no move. I weep openly whispering, "Thank you… Thank you…"

He huffs and nods.

A/N: Oh, Sweet baby Jesus…. I am soooo bad at updates lol I just got lazy cause honestly? I need someone to help with this shit… Lol I love my ideas but there is just so much I want to put in I have a hard time actually coming up with the story and not just giving the blurbs… Lol but thank you everyone who has been patient with me J I'll try and do better~


End file.
